Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

“Romancing the Nerd” is a lesser known sequel to the book “The Summer I became a Nerd”.  They are both written by Leah Rae Michelle, an author who usually writes young adult, contemporary romance. And trust me on my word: “Romancing the Nerd” is even more so, or at the least ‘on par’, with the quality of “The Summer I became a Nerd”!

“Romancing the Nerd” is a story from the perspectives of two teenagers. Dan Garrett, a person most would classify as a ‘Nerd’, has become ‘Popular’. From a live-action role playing geek, his sudden growth spurt and insane Basketball skills has brought him from zero to hero. But there’s a catch! This sudden climb of the social ladder may cost him the girl of his dorky dreams! This particular girl is Zelda Pott’s, a tuba player and geeky girl with a unique fashion sense. When Dan decided to leave behind his ‘past life’ of nerd-dom, it was painful enough for Zelda. But he humiliates her in school, leaving Zelda to decide to get back at him in her own, geeky way…

This book was really a great kickstarter for my love for role-playing games! I was first introduced to Dungeons and Dragons in “The Summer I Became a Nerd”, but “Romancing the Nerd” really reminded me of why I loved their role-playing, geeky culture. Zelda is not a conventional female lead. She’s strong and yet feminine, aggressive and still kind. The way the author expressed Zelda’s hurt and happiness resonated with me very much. I couldn’t help but want to be part of her story! Dan is a fantastic multi-dimensional character. His love for dorkiness and desire for popularity is not written off as something cliche, but rather displayed as a relatable and convincing inner conflict. “Romancing the Nerd” is an enjoyable and casual read, perfect for unwinding after a tiring day. Definitely worth recommending!

Jaime Ng

3 Truth

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25664525-romancing-the-nerd